Internal combustion engine



United States P 3,097,633 INTERNAL CGMBUSTION ENGINE Fritz Klein, 14520 Debell Drive, Los Altos Hills, Calif. Filed May 8, 1961, Ser. No- 108,474 7 Claims. (Cl. 123-79) This invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to a single valved engine cylinder and means for alternately switching gases toward and from the same.

It is one object of this invention to provide in an engine head a single valve communicating with a manifold common to both intake and exhaust gases and means within such common manifold for alternately switching the flow of gases into and out of the engine cylinder via the single valve port.

It is another object to provide means for cooling the cylinder head, valve and flow switch of such an engine. The arrangement is such as to afford a minimum of resistance to the flow of gases either into or out of the cylinder. To this end the intake side of the common manifold has a curved section interposed between the single valve port and the air admittance entrance whereby centrifugal forces set up in the incoming air directs the same into the cylinder with a supercharging-like action.

In accordance with the present invention the exhaust portion of the common manifold is kept in communication with the air admittance entrance of such manifold during the intake, compression and firing cycles. In other words, for approximately 65 of the duration of the four cycles involved, a through flow of fresh air is afforded whereby the vacuum wake which ordinarily takes place in an exhaust manifold after discharge of exhaust gases is greatly prevented.

It is another object to provide in a single valved engine cylinder a simple yet effective deflector or gate within a common intake and exhaust flue, and means for controlling movement of such deflector in timed relation with the engine cycles. In this connection it should be noted that no precision machining is required and no clearance maintenance needed since the deflector merely guides the flow of relatively low pressure gases to and from the single valve port. To this end the deflector or gate is broadly referred to as a flow switch because it changes the direction of the flow of gases correspondingly to the nature of such gases and the interim cycle of the engine.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following description when read in the light of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a section through an engine block and head embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section through FIG. 1 looking upwardly from line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through FIG. 1 taken substantially along line 3-3 thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail as seen from line '4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cycle diagram illustrating the timing of the various components of the present engine.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a portion of an internal combustion engine is shown comprising a block defining a cylinder 11 within which a piston 12 is mounted for reciprocation in the usual manner. An engine head 14 secured to the upper face of the block 10 has an inverted dish shaped recess 15 aligned with the cylinder 11 to provide a closed combustion chamber C therein and therewith.

In accordance with the present invention the head 14 comprises an overhead valve arrangement in which a single valve 16 is required between the cylinder and a manifold. To this end there is a single valve port 17 3,097,633- Patented July 16, 1963 provided at the crown of the dish shaped recess 15 concentric to the cylinder and piston. In this arrangement both intake and exhaust of gases are directed into and out of the combustion chamber via the single valve port 17. It will therefore be appreciated that a port of much larger diameter can be provided than was heretofore possible where a separate valve is necessary for the exhaust and another valve for the intake of gases. As seen in the present disclosure the port size can be of a diameter which is approximately 70% of the cylinder diameter.

The present invention contemplates the provision of means for alternately admitting combustible gas or air into the cylinder and exhaust gases therefrom via the single port. To accomplish this the head 14 is so formed as to provide a flue 20 the main portion 21 of which traverses the single valve port exteriorly of the cylinder 11. This cross flue 20 although a common tube consists of an air intake zone 22 on one side of the cylinder and a discharge zone 23 on the opposite side thereof. Accordingly, the air intake side 22 of the flue 20 may communicate with an intake manifold (not shown) and the discharge side 23 may communicate with an exhaust manifold (also not shown).

Referring to FIG. 1 it will be noted that the intake zone 22 communicates with an entrance 24 which is substantially at right angles to the main portion 21 of the flue which traverses the single valve port. The entrance 24 merges with the main flue 21 via an elbow 25 so disposed that air entering the flue via the entrance 24 is diverted round the bend provided by the elbow. This sets up a centrifugal force in the air as it is directed across the top of the cylinder. Moreover, between the entrance 24 and the exhaust side 23 of the flue 20 there is a partition 26 thus forming an auxiliary or by-pass flue 27 facilitating the by-passing of a portion of the incoming fresh air relative to the intake zone 22 which by-pass air charges directly into the discharge zone 23 of the flue 20 beyond the cylinder. This partition 26 is formed with a curved fin 28 extending into the elbow 25 and terminating as a sharp apex 29 at the entrance 24 to thereby cut the incoming stream of air in half so as to divert substantially one half the volume of incoming air into the by-pass or auxiliary flue 27 for direct flow into the discharge zone 23 of the flue 20.

In the event fuel is carbureted within the air intake zone 21, such fuel may be admitted via a carburetor jet or an injector jet 30 dischraging into the intake zone 22 just ahead of and/ or adjacent the cylinder. Otherwise it is conceivable that fuel may be injected directly into the cylinder, such as in the case of diesel engines, via a jet located at the top of the cylinder somewhat as is the glow or spark plug 31 in FIG. 1.

Returning now to the single valve 16 it will be noted that it has a valve stem 35 co-axially of the cylinder and extending upwardly through a guide sleeve 36 formed as a part of the head casting 14. The upper end of the stem 35 extends beyond the head 14 for engagement by one end of a rocker arm 37 which operates in the usual manner to depress the valve 16 at desired times. A spring 38 operatively associated with the valve stem 35 is so disposed as to expand between the head 14 and a flange 39 on the stem 35 so as to normally urge the stern upwardly to thereby maintain the valve 16 against its seat to close the port 17. Thus it will be seen that the single valve 16 is arranged to operate in timed relation to the reciprocation of the piston 12 within the cylinder 11. This operation is conventional in that the single valve 16 is cammed to open and close once in each four stroke cycle of operation of the piston. That is to say, the valve 16 is opened during the intake or down stroke of the piston; closed during the upward or compression stroke of the piston; and during the firing or next down stroke of the piston, then opened again during the return stroke of the piston to allow gases to exhaust from the cylinder. This is depicted graphically in FIG. of the drawings.

In order to control the flow of air and exhaust relative to the common tube or flue during the operation of the piston and valve there is provided a flow switch in the form of deflector or gate 40 within the tube 20. This deflector gate 40 is disposed at the juncture of the intake and exhaust side of the tube 20 for controlled movement between two extreme positions, namely position I in which only the intake side 22 of the flue is in communication with the valve port 17; and position II in which only the exhaust or discharge side 23 of the flue is in communication with the port 17.

In the present disclosure the deflector gate 40 is pivotally mounted within the flue 20 at the lower end 41 of the sleeve boss 36 which guides the valve stem 35. As best seen in FIG. 1 the lower end 41 of the boss 36 is rounded about an axis a concentric to the axis about which the deflector 40 pivots.

The deflector gate 40 is a metal stamping providing a main body 42 of arcuate shape from which a pair of flanges 43 and 44 are bent upwardly, one at each side of the arcuate main body. These side flanges 43 and 44 each have a partial stud shaft 4545 secured to its side and extending laterally therefrom into aligned trunnion bosses 46-46 respectively at either side of the head casting 14 co-axially of the axis a on the sleeve boss 36.

One of the stud shafts 45 extends beyond the flue 20 sufliciently to have a rocker arm 47 secured thereto (FIGS. 2 and 3). This rocker arm 47 as seen in FIG. 4 has an anchored spring 48 connected to one end thereof so as to be urged in one direction. The opposite end of the rocker arm 47 engages the upper end of a push rod 49 arranged for up and down movement in a sleeve formed as a part of the engine block 10. This push rod 49 has its lower end extending into a region within the block confining a cam shaft (not shown) but comparable to the conventional cam shaft by which the valves of any internal combustion engine are operated. The cam action on the push rod 49 is so timed as to lift the rod during the exhaust stroke of the piston 12 and to allow the spring 48 to control during the rest of the time of each cycle. Thus it will be seen that the spring 48 normally urges the rocker 47 into a position in which the deflector 40 assumes the full line position I shown in FIG. 1 wherein the port 17 is communicated with the intake side 22 of the flue 20.

It should here be noted that the side flanges 43-44 of the deflector extend partially into recess sides of the flue 20 and that the arcuate main body 42 provides a concave surface exposed to the oncoming gases for diverting the same to and from the single valve port 17. Moreover, although the main or arcuate body 42 must be slotted as at 51 to accommodate the valve stem extending therethrough, the slotted opening is blocked so that gases cannot leak through the slot. As best seen in FIG. 1, the upper, convex surface of the main body 42 engages the rounded lower extremity 41 of the sleeve boss 36 so as to be guided thereby during controlled movement between positions I and II. In addition thereto the upper surface of the main body has an integral U shaped trough formed transversely thereof, the bight of such U being struck on a radius from the axis a and the legs of such U diverging so as to permit movement of the deflector body between its two extreme positions I and II. It will thus be seen (FIG. 1) that the lower end of boss 36 is so formed as to close the slotted opening 51 when the deflector 40 is in either normal intake position I; exhaust position II; as well as during movement between such two extreme positions.

In addition to the foreging it will be noted in FIG. 1 that the intake edge 52 of the deflector 40 bears against the end of partition 26 while the opposite edge 53 of the deflector 40 bears against the floor of the flue 20 approximately tangent to the valve port 17. Thus it will be appreciated that on the intake stroke of the piston 12, the valved port 17 being open, incoming air and/or fuelair mixture is deflected toward the port 17 by the deflector gate 40.

Meantime a portion of fresh air coming into the head 14 bypasses the intake tube 22 and travels via the auxdliary passage 27 directly to the discharge or exhaust side 23 of the flue 20. This auxiliary air has a cooling effect on the deflector 40 as well as the valve guide 36, exhaust side of the flue 2t), and the manifold of the engine. The temperature of exhaust gases can thereby be reduced while being augmented in volume for efficient use in an exhaust turbine if desired.

The deflector gate 40 is timed to move into its other extreme position just prior to the exhaust stroke of the piston 12. The timing is delineated in the diagram of FIG. 5. During the exhaust stroke the push rod 49 has been forced upwardly by its cam to push up against the rocker arm 47 to cause the latter to move (counterclockwise FIGS. 1 and 4) against the action of its spring 48. Thus it will the seen that the deflector 40 is flipped into exhaust position II (dotted lines FIG. 1) in a snap-like action to switch the flow of gases. This change of position of the deflector 40 shuts off all communication of the air intake slide 22 of the flue with the cylinder 11. In position II the intake edge 52 of the deflector engages the floor of the flue approximately tangent to the port 17 and the opposite end 53 of the deflector engages the roof of the exhaust side 23 of the flue.

At this point it should be noted that the upper end of push rod 49 engages a leaf spring 55 so disposed relative to and on the rocker arm 47 as to absorb any override of the push rod 49 relative thereto and to assure a spring like urgence of the deflector 40 into the exhaust position II as shown in dotted lines FIG. 1.

Immediately after the deflector is flipped into exhaust position II the valve 16 is timed to open the port 17 just as tht piston 12 is about to begin its upward or exhaust stroke. Consequently, all fumes and gases within the cylinder 11 which are forced out through port 17 are deflected by the gate 40 toward and into the discharge side '23 of the flue 20. It should here be noted that in a multicylindered engine embodying the present invention, comparable deflectors at other cylinders are in normal position whereby air is hy-passing 'them via their auxiliary passages 27 thus setting up an air flow in the exhaust manifold affecting a syphoning action at the discharge flue 23. In this manner the exhaust gases are quickly drawn out of the discharge side 23 of the flue until the push rod 49 recedes whereupon the rocker 47 again assumes normal position by action of its return spring 48.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a novel form of internal combustion engine in which but a single valve is required by which intake as well as exhaust gases can be transmitted to and from a cylinder. By this arrangement maximum port opening during both intake and exhaust stroke can be attained.

The flow of intake or combustible gases as well as exhaust gases is controlled by a flow switch in a single flue common to both intake and exhaust manifolds. This single flue is provided with an air intake entrance so disposed relative to the main flue as to set up a whip like action in the incoming air clue to centrifugal force. The arrangement also includes a by-pass flue communicating the exhaust side of the main flue with the air intake entrance during non-exhaust phases of the engine cycle. Consequently a substantially constant flow of air is always afforded via the entrance opening 24 which air is only momentarily cutoff during the exhaust stroke of the piston 12. At all other times a portion of the incoming fresh air is always by-passing the valve and deflector thus (be susceptible to modification, alteration and/ or variation without departing from the spirit of my invention. I, therefore, desire to avail myself of all modifications, alterations and/ or variations as fairly come within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with the cylinder of an internal combustion engine having a piston reciprocable therein, a cylinder head casting comprising a closure for the upper end of said cylinder, a manifold formed in said head transverse to said cylinder and having an inttake and a discharge side [relative theretot, a single valve port formed in said head concentric to said cylinder and approximately 70% of the diameter thereof facilitating maximum communication of said cylinder with said manifold, a valve for said port having a stem extending upwardly therefrom for overhead operation to open and close the latter in timed relation with the reciprocation of said piston, a guide sleeve in said cylinder head casting having a lower end rounded on an axis transverse to said manifold, a flow switch mounted *on said valve stem for controlled movement about the axis of the rounded end of said guide sleeve between two extreme positions, one in which only the intake side of said manifold is in communication with said single valve port and the other in which only the exhaust side of said manifold is in communication with said port, and means operatively connected to said flow switch and operating in timed relation with said piston and valve for controlling the movement of said flow switch.

2. In combination with the cylinder of an internal combustion engine having a piston reciprocable therein, a cylinder head comprising a closure for the upper end of said cylinder, an air flow flue formed in said head transverse to said cylinder, said flue having a discharge side at one end thereof and an air intake entrance at the opposite end thereof at substantially right angles thereto for affecting a supercharging-like action to incoming air, a stemmed valve having a port diameter of substantially 70% of and concentric to the diameter of said cylinder for communicating said cylinder with said flue, and a flow switch in said flue comprising a deflector blade mounted for rocking movement about an axis perpendicular to the stem of said single valve between two extreme positions, one in which only the intake side of said flue is in communication with said single valve port for deflecting incoming air into said cylinder, and the other position in which only the discharge side of said flue is in communication with said valve port for deflecting exhaust gases from said cylinder out through the discharge side of said flue.

3. In combination with the cylinder of an internal combustion engine having a piston reciprocable therein, a cylinder head comprising a closure for the upper end of said cylinder, an air flow flue formed in said head transverse to said cylinder, said flue having a discharge side at one end thereof and an air intake entrance at the opposite end thereof at substantially right angles thereto for affecting a supercharging-like action to incoming air, a single valve having a port formed in said head concentrically of said cylinder for communicating said cylinder with said flue, a valve having a stem extending upwardly through said flue, a stem guide in said head having its lower end rounded about an axis transverse to said valve stem and the direction of said flue across said cylinder, and a flow switch in said flue comprising a deflector blade mounted for rocking movement about the axis of the rounded lower end of said guide and for controlled movement between two extreme positions, one in which only the intake side of said flue is in communication with said single valve port for deflecting incoming air into said cylinder, and the other position in which only the discharge side of said flue is in communication with said valve port for deflecting exhaust gases from said cylinder out through the discharge side of said flue, and means operatively connected to said deflector blade and said internal combustion engine for controlling movement of said blade as aforesaid in timed relation with said piston and valve.

4. In an internal combustion engine having a block defining a cylinder having a piston therein; a head for said block covering said cylinder, a manifold in said head traversing the said cylinder, a single concentric valve port communicating said cylinder and manifold, a valve in said head normally closing said port during the compression and firing phases of each cycle of operation of said piston, means for opening said valve relative to said port 'during the exhaust and intake phases of each cycle of operation of said piston, said manifold having an intake end on one side of said cylinder and an exhaust manifold on the opposite side thereof, a valve stem guide sleeve formed as a part of said head and having its lower end rounded about an axis at right angles to the manifold, a flow switch gate arranged in said manifold for rocking movement about the lower end of said stem guide sleeve and operable in timed relation with said valve and piston for alternately deflecting intake gases into said port and exhaust gases from said port toward said exhaust manifold during the intake and exhaust phases of each cycle of operation of said piston.

5. In an internal combustion engine including a block defining a cylinder having a reciprocating piston therein; a cylinder head covering said cylinder and having a single valve port opening into the latter concentric thereto, a valve in said head normally closing said port and operable in timed relation with the reciprocation of said piston for opening said port during the exhaust and intake stroke of said piston, an air flow flue in said head transverse to said cylinder having an exhaust side at one end thereof and an air admittance entrance at the opposite end thereof, a by-pass flue communicating said air admittance entrance with the exhaust side of said flue, and a flow switch in said flue comprising a deflector gate pivotally mounted therein above said cylinder and normally disposed in an air intake position for deflecting air from said admittance entrance of said flue into said single valve port while a portion of the air from said admittance entrance flows through said by-pass flue for discharge via the exhaust side of said flue, and means operatively associated with said deflector gate for moving said deflector gate into an exhaust position during the exhaust stroke of said piston for deflecting exhaust gases from said single valve port into the exhaust side of said flue while excommunicating the latter from said by-pass flue.

6. In an internal combustion engine including a block defining a cylinder having a reciprocating piston therein; a cylinder head covering said cylinder and having a single valve port opening into the latter, a valve in said head for opening and closing said port in timed relation with the reciprocation of said piston, an air flow flue in said head transverse to said cylinder having an exhaust side at one end thereof and an air admittance entrance at the opposite end thereof at substantially right angles to said flue for creating a supercharging-like action within incoming air, a bypass flue communicating said air admittance entrance with the exhaust side of said flue, and a flow switch in said flue comprising a deflector gate pivotally mounted therein above said cylinder and normally disposed in an air intake position for deflecting incoming air into said single valve port while air flowing through said by-pass flue discharges via the exhaust side of said flue, and means operatively associated with said deflector gate for moving said deflector gate into an exhaust position in timed relation with the operation of said piston and valve for deflecting exhaust gases from said single valve port into the exhaust side of said flue while excommunicating the latter from said by-pass flue.

7. For an internal combustion engine including a block defining a cylinder having a reciprocating piston therein; a cylinder head covering said cylinder and having a single valve port opening therein of a diameter sub stantially 70% of that of said cylinder, a valve in said head for normally closing said port during the compression and firing strokes of said piston, means operatively associated with said valve and piston for opening said port during the exhaust and intake strokes of said piston, an air flow flue in said head transverse to said cylinder for communication with the latter via said valve port, said flue having an exhaust side at one end thereof and an air admittance entrance at the opposite end thereof at such an angle substantially relative to said flue as to create a superchanging-like action within air flowing into said flue from said admittance entrance, a by-pass flue communicating said air admittance entrance with the exhaust side of said flue whereby to receive a portion of air from said admittance entrance for cooling said cylinder head and exhaust side of said flue, and a flow switch in said flue comprising a deflector gate pivotally mounted therein above said cylinder and normally disposed in an air intake position for deflecting incoming air into said single valve port during the intake stroke of said piston while air flowing through said by-pass flue discharges via the exhaust side of said flue, and means operatively associated with said deflector gate for moving said deflector gate into a different position during the exhaust stroke of said piston for deflecting exhaust gases from said single valve port into the exhaust side of said flue and for excommunicating said by-pass flue from the exhaust side of said flue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,585 James Nov. 22, 1921 1,951,759 Keister Mar. 20, 1934 2,215,579 Eichelberg Sept. 29, 1940 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE CYLINDER OF AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVING A PISTON RECIPROCABLE THEREIN, A CYLINDER HEAD CASTING COMPRISING A CLOSURE FOR THE UPPER END OF SAID CYLINDER, A MONIFOLD FORMED IN SAID HEAD TRANSVERSE TO SAID CYLINDER AND HAVING AN INTAKE AND A DISCHARGE SIDE RELATIVE THERETO, A SINGLE VALVE PORT FORMED IN SAID HEAD CONCENTRIC TO SAID CYLINDER AND APPROXIMATELY 70% OF THE DIAMETER THEREOF FACILITATING MAXIMUM COMMUNICATION OF SAID CYLINDER WITH SAID MANIFOLD, A VALVE FOR SAID PORT HAVING A STEM EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM FOR OVERHEAD OPERATION TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE LATTER IN TIME RELATION WITH THE RECIPROCATING OF SAID PISTON, A GUIDE SLEEVE IN SAID CYLINDER HEAD CASTING HAVING A LOWER 